We drove to St. Louis and got a chance to visit with the Morrisons! YEAH! It was so fun to see them and hang out with the little ones and just chill. The Malone's also met up with us and it was a great time. I am hoping that Ryan and Heather will find a perfect house and move here! We ate a Red Robin and had some delicious food! The milkshakes were the best! It is so great to be able to meet up with friends whom you haven't seen in awhile and just catch up where you left off. I love being able to do that! Heather...I can't wait to see the pictures! :) Also, Have fun at your game night tonight! Hope you made it back okay!

Hanging out with Mike and watching movies! We probably watched 10-15 movies this week. I couldn't do anything and it was so great to be able to just hang out and be with each other.

Not having to worry about school stuff. Enough said!

Well, my knee is swelling as I write this, so I better go ice and lay down! Have a great Saturday!

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Alright ladies, it's that time of year once again!!! I think we need to be reminded of a few things. So, PLEASE, raise your big toes and repeat after me below...
The Open Toed Shoe Pledge...
As a member of the Cute Girl Sisterhood, I pledge to follow the Rules when wearing sandals and other open-toe shoes:

I promise to always wear sandals that fit.

My toes will not hang over and touch the ground, nor will my heels spill over the backs. And the sides and tops of my feet will not pudge out between the straps.

I will go polish-free or vow to keep the polish fresh, intact and chip-free. I will not cheat and just touch up my big toe.

I will sand down any mounds of skin before they turn hard and yellow.

I will shave the hairs off my big toe.

I won't wear pantyhose even if my misinformed girlfriend, coworker, mother, sister tells me the toe seam really will stay under my toes if I tuck it there.

If a strap breaks, I won't duct-tape, pin, glue or tuck it back into place hoping it will stay put. I will get my shoe fixed or toss it.

I will not live in corn denial; rather I will lean on my good friend Dr. Scholl's if my feet need him.

I will resist the urge to buy jelly shoes at Payless for the low, low price of $4.99 even if my feet are small enough to fit into the kids' sizes. This is out of concern for my safety, and the safety of others. No one can walk properly when standing in a pool of sweat and I would hate to take someone down with me as I fall and break my ankle.

I will take my toe ring off toward the end of the day if my toes swell and begin to look like Vienna sausages.

I will be brutally honest with my girlfriend/sister/coworker when she asks me if her feet are too ugly to wear sandals. Someone has to tell her that her toes are as long as my fingers and no sandal makes creepy feet look good.

I will promise if I wear flip flops that I will ensure that they actually flip and flop, making the correct noise while walking and I will swear NOT to slide or drag my feet while wearing them.

I will promise to go to my local nail salon at least once per season and have a real pedicure (they are only $20 and worth EVERY penny).

I will promise to throw away any white/off-white sandals that show signs of wear... nothing is tackier than dirty white sandals.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Not too much has been going on. Surgery went well, but I am still in a LOT of pain. Sat. and Sun. my parents were here because Mike was working nights and slept during the day, so they were a big help. Yesterday I was in excrutiating pain. I have no idea why. It hurt to bend or straighten my leg. Today is feels a little better. I just have to keep doing my exercises so there will not be a lot of scar tissue. Mike has bike training this week and is loving it so far. I can't believe that this is my spring break. I was looking forward to a relaxing break doing some painting around the house, playing with Jack, meeting Mike for lunch and just getting things organized.....It feels like the days are flying by. I haven't taken any pictures to share recently since there is NOTHING going on here....I do miss my friends though. Most of them live out of town and some are on vacation. I feel that the older I get, the less "real" friends I have. Does that make sense? Yes, I have lots of people whom Mike and I hang out with, but I am talking about those friends who you can tell anything too and they don't judge you. I am not sure why I am writing about this today. I guess because it is lonely laying on the couch all day recouperating....Maybe I'll just have to give some friends a call to say hello and make me feel better! Have a great day!

Saturday, March 24, 2007

So... what have you done?
I stole this from Nicole's blog.... you bold the ones you have accomplished.
1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said “I love you” and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby’s diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse34. Ridden a roller coaster35. Hit a home run36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment.
39. Had two hard drives for your computer and a 300 gig external!
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was drunk42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger’s table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud64. Played in the rain65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business68. Fallen in love!
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn’t stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn’t have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds (45.5 kilograms)
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Swam with a stingray110. Broken someone’s heart111. Ridden a bike
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse119. Had surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone’s mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Touched a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you’re living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn’t know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone’s life

Surgery went well yesterday. I did not have a miniscus tear like they thought. I had a flap of cartilage, grade 3 (4 is the highest) that was causing pain under my kneecap. So, they took it out and shaved the rest of the area around in to smooth it out. I have a couple of stitches and an ace bandage from my ankle to my upper thigh. I will post some pictures soon! :)

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Today is my dad's birthday and I just wanted to share some pics from visiting them on Sat. Mike had to work so he couldn't make it and Kris had his wisdom teeth out, so he wasn't feeling up to par. Also, Mike officially drove the car last night at work and he made his 1st arrest for a DUI. I am so proud of him!

Friday, March 16, 2007

I can't believe how quick a week can go by. Lots of things going on, so sorry if this is random...

I am for sure having knee surgery next Friday....what a great spring break it is going to be. Bummer! I will be in an ace bandage wrap from my ankle to my upper thigh for 2 days. Hopefully this will be the last surgery for awhile.

Mike has had MANY interesting things going on while working the 11 pm- 7 am shift...you might want to email him and have him tell you about the "Goat Whisperer"! ha

At school I had my students make NCAA brackets and our excuse to do this is we are going to be talking about fractions when the tournament is over! We are also doing an American Idol bulletin board for my students to vote off the worst idol. This week, I was the only one who thought Brandon was going to be voted off. So...1/24 got it correct! 11/24 of our class had the bottom three correct! They LOVE this!

Congrats to Kelli and Kris and also Dan and Amanda for buying...really, building a new house! I am so happy for you all and I hope your houses now sell quickly. I can't wait to visit!

Ryan, we are praying for you and Heather and the kiddos that you guys will be able to get the St. Louis job and move here...we would LOVE that!

Sunday, March 11, 2007

Mike's first shift was last night and I was nervous and excited for him all at once. I was going to try to stay up all night (11pm-7 am), but I only made it to 3:30. Mike called on his way home and said it was a great night. He was nervous up until he had to talk to someone, but after that he was fine. J.P and Mike also had 1 DWI last night, and as Mike said, was a wanna-be lawyer. He said that took forever because the guy kept trying to use big words to act like he wasn't drunk and wanted to read everything....He was arrested. :) Around 4 am that had lunch and he said from then on, up until their shift was over, there wasn't anything going on, so they drove around. He found out that one of his students that he had in the GED program was arrested for DUI and possession of marijuana. Once the student saw that it was Mike, he face lit up and he was excited to see his old teacher, but Mike didn't really know what to say to him. I mean...what do you say to an old student who was arrested? Mike called on his way home, around 7:15 am, and as soon as he got home, no more than 5 minutes later, he was out. He was so tired. Since daylight savings time was yesterday, they have to go in an hour earlier tonight. So tonight, he will be on from 10 am-7 am. He is sleeping in the basement now since it is so dark down there. I'll post more info. when he wakes up! Have a great Sunday!

Friday, March 9, 2007

What a great movie! Mike and I went to see this at the 4:50 showing and it was sold out! I am so glad Mike got to pick up the tickets on his lunch break and we got the chance to see it on opening night. Yes, it was bloody and showed arrows going through people, but it was amazing.....I would recommend this! :) Mike is getting everything ready for his first night tomorrow and I can't wait to see him in uniform! I hope everyone has a great night!

Thursday, March 8, 2007

Just wanted to share some pictures from the last few days. :) I am so glad tomorrow is Friday! Mike starts his first uniform day on Sat. night, so Friday is our day! We are going to go catch an early movie and just hang out and relax before everything starts getting hectic. Enjoy the pics and have a great Friday!
This WAS Jack's new bed that we decided to get for him. Guess how long it lasted????? Hmmm...if you guessed less than a day, you are correct! So glad that is was less then $10!

Yes, I know this is a horrible picture, but I wanted to show you Mike's hat that they have to wear during MU football games and his new badge! Yeah!

It has been such nice weather here this week and it makes me SO excited from spring! :)

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

What a great day! It is Mike's 2nd day of work and he came home with his badge! woo-hoo! It kindof seems surreal that he is a police officer now.....all of the hard work he went through, graduating from the police academy, getting into the car accident, rehab, , re-interviewing, etc...and now here it is, 9 months later, and he is an offical police officer. He is doing all the boring work this week with insurance, meeting people around the university, etc. His first shift starts Sat. night 11 pm-7 am. He will be training for about 3 months with that schedule. It is 4 days on and 2 days off, so each week changes, which is kindof nice. That way, he doesn't always miss the weekends with me! I have been busy teaching of course....We had parent teacher conferences last Thursday and Friday and they went great. I have 24 terrific kiddos! I am hoping to "loop" with them next year and teach 5th grade, but we'll see. I wanted to say congrats to my cousins Kim and Angela. Kim had Lily, and 1 week later, Angela had her 1st baby, Landon. I can't wait to meet them! Hopefully I can post some pics soon! Have a great night! Also, I hope Mallory is feeling better. My niece has been SO sick the past week and poor Amanda has had to deal with all of that. I also hope Dan's ankle is feeling better! We miss you guys!

Thursday, March 1, 2007

Mike got the job today! Yeah! He is officially now Officer Laughlin! He starts on Monday....WOW!!!! I can't believe it. We are both so excited and I am so proud of Mike!

The shift hours are
First Shift: 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Second Shift: 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Third Shift: 11:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
He will be training with someone for about 3 months and he will be on his schedule, so once we know I will update everyone!